AXPONA 2019 Show Report -- Audio Expo North America

AXPONA 2019: Monstrous Fun in the Windy City
All I can say is, we enjoyed the music!
AXPONA 2019 Show Report By Greg Weaver

1621 - Magico
It was great to spend some time chatting with Alon Wolf as he introduced the latest addition to Magico's stunning M Series, the M2 ($63,600). Fronted by only digital, using the MSB Select DAC ($72,000) and Select Transport ($24,500), a pair of CH Precision M1 monaural amplifiers ($94,750/pr.) drove the M2, cabling was a full complement of Synergistic Research Galileo cables.

The most affordable M series speaker to date, the M2 uses the same construction techniques forming multiple layers of carbon fiber into a monocoque enclosure some 3/8" thick, which Magico says increases the strength to weight ratio by 60%, reduces the overall weight by 50%, while affording a 30% reduction in overall dimensions without compromising the internal volume. This new enclosure allows for a more curved, and therefore less diffractive, enclosure than any of Magico's previous extruded aluminum bodies.

Alon Wolf's newest M series loudspeaker, the M2, with MSB digital and CH Precision amplification.

It features their 28mm diamond-coated Beryllium dome tweeter, and their proprietary single six-inch midrange and twin seven-inch woofers are fabricated from XG Nanographene, in a new, ultra-stiff proprietary carbon weave they laud as both 20% stronger and 300% stiffer than any cone materials used in earlier Magico offerings.

While I've no way of accurately determining how much impact each new feature affords this new and stirring series from Magico, my bet is that the newer, more curved and sweeping enclosure accounts for a great deal of the obvious spatial improvement, while the monocoque and driver construction yield the enhanced resolution and transparency I noted with the M2 over even the most engaging Q and S series products I've heard from Alon prior the M's creation.

As this was in a partial section of one of the more normal sized rooms on the 16th floor, it much more closely approximates what one would expect to encounter in a realistic home environment. I have to say, the experience was even better than I had expected it to be. In my estimation, this series elevates Magico's already sterling reputation for exceptional performance, and I was more than merely smitten with this system.

This same MSB system, as shown at RMAF 2018, left me wanting. Whether it was the tiny room or something else, I cannot say. But when conflated with the CH amps and the Synergistic Research cabling, the M2 simply sprang to life. The sound was transparent, resolute, with an amazing sense of midrange presence. Their ability to render sheer speed, relevant musical detail, dense and vivid timbre, and to recreate the most tonally correct piano and articulate sense of space I've yet heard from Magico make this the most engaging Magico product launch since the introduction of the original Q7 at CES 2012, maybe even superseding that launch.

Nirvana - The Audio Company/VAC/Von Schweikert Audio
What was most fascinating to me about the primary system shown in this room was that the VAC Statement 450i iQ integrated amplifier ($150,000) and the Von Schweikert Ultra 9 loudspeakers ($200,000/pr.) on display had been in my listening room from early January until the Wednesday morning before AXPONA for review for another journal. The difference, or more to the point, the surprising similarities, in how they sounded in those two vastly different rooms was interesting. One of the Ultra systems key design elements, the enormously versatile tuning suite of controls for the loudspeaker's tweeters, ambiance array, and powered sub, allow you to really maximize the sonic results in any room.

In the very front of this large space, LP playback was handled by the TechDAS Air Force Three Premium turntable ($62,000), with a Graham Engineering Phantom Elite tonearm ($12,000), and the Air Tight Opus 1 cartridge ($16,000). Digital was decoded using the Esoteric Grandioso P1 transport ($38,000), Esoteric Grandioso D1 monoblock DACs ($38,000/pr.), Esoteric G-01 clock ($20,000), and an Aurender A100 music server/streamer/renderer ($3,995).

Amplification was Kevin Hayes' Valve Amplification Company's new (introduced at RMAF last October) and uniquely designed VAC Statement 450i iQ integrated amplifier ($150,000). It conflates the sonics of the separate Statement Linestage, Statement Phonostage, and the Statement 450 iQ stereo amplifier into one of the most beautifully executed integrated amplifier designs I've ever seen. Combined with the Von Schweikert Ultra 9 loudspeakers ($200,000/pr.), the stage was set for some superb sounds.

The astonishing Valve Amplification Company's Statement 450i iQ integrated amplifier.

Everything was isolated with the superb Critical Mass Systems Olympus V-12 Luxury 6 component rack ($61,5000), and all connectivity came from a full loom of MasterBuilt Signature cables. It should be noted that due to the enormity of the room, Von Schweikert V-12XS Shockwave subwoofers ($11,500) were deployed in critical locations near the rear of the room to manage active room correction.

This is one of the most engaging, immediate, and involving systems I've ever sat down in front of, both while it was in my home (with my 13' by 45' room), and here in this cavernous Convention Center space. Its ability to get out of its own way, to convey both power and subtlety at once, to deliver the weight and scale of the music, and to so accurately and convincingly recreate the stage, including instrumental location and size throughout, was captivating. This was an absolute stand out system.

I must share a revelation I had while sitting in chairs placed against the side wall of the room, more than half the distance of the room away from the plane of the speakers.  While chatting with Kevin Hayes' charming wife Darlene in this extreme location, it hit me that I wasn't hearing a left-channel dominant, mono-esque sound field. What I was hearing was a clear stereo image, albeit slightly skewed left, with a remarkable sense of the space, especially the width and depth of the soundstage. I've never heard such remarkable imaging from such an extreme location with any system prior, save a similar experience I had with the VSA Ultra 11's at Capital Audiofest 2018. This should serve to give you some sense of just how remarkably effective the VSA dividing networks, using a system called GAIN, are at managing polar response off-axis.

Von Schweikert Audio's Ultra 9 loudspeakers in a stunning red finish.

With that said, this was NOT the only system in the Nirvana room. Toward the rear of the room, just as you entered, they also were showing another, slightly less costly system!

Here, they had a TechDAS Air Force Five turntable ($18,000), with a Graham Engineering Phantom III tonearm ($7,000), and the Air Tight PC-1 Supreme cartridge ($11,000). Digital was handled by the Esoteric K-07 CD player ($6,000), a Teac NT-505 streamer/renderer/DAC ($2,000), and the Teac CG10M clock ($1,000).

Using the VAC Master preamplifier with its native phono stage ($40,000), a pair of VAC Signature 200iQ power amplifiers in mono ($29,000/pr.), this system could alternate between the Von Schweikert Endeavor E5 loudspeaker system ($40,000/pr.), or the Von Schweikert Endeavor E3 loudspeaker system ($10,000/pr.). Here, sources rested on the Critical Mass Systems QXK rack ($29,520), with Black Diamond (two), Black Platinum (two), and Black Sapphire (four) filters/shelves, Critical Mass Systems QXK amp stands, with Black Diamond filters ($9,980/pr.), and cabling was from the Reference and Performance MasterBuilt lines.

Euphoria – The Audio Company/VAC/Von Schweikert Audio
This is the room where it got real, and the name of the space, Euphoria, was apropos to the sonic accomplishments of the mega-system assembled within. If you want to experience a cost-no-object system that truly brings recorded events as closely back to life in the listening room as I have heard accomplished to this point in time, you should go out of your way to hear this system at one of the many shows they schlep it to over the course of show seasons.

I have to admit, the prices here are insane. But, when one is pushing the envelope, trying to create the dynamism and authenticity of a live musical event, it takes such heroic efforts.

Vinyl playback was handled by the massive TechDAS Air Force One turntable ($162,000), using a Graham Engineering Phantom Elite tonearm ($12,900), fitted with a TechDAS TDC01 cartridge ($12,000), connected to the VAC Statement Phono Preamplifier ($80,000).

Digital in this room was provided by the Esoteric Grandioso P1 transport ($38,000), with the Esoteric Grandioso D1 monoblock DACS (38,000/pr.), an Esoteric Grandioso G1 master clock ($26,000), an Esoteric N-01 network audio player ($20,000), and an Aurender N10 music server ($8,500).

The output from either of these exemplary front ends fed the VAC Statement Line Preamplifier ($80,000), and not one, but two pair of the VAC Statement 450iQ mono power amplifiers ($120,000/pr., or $240,000!). This amazing power was used to biamplify the Von Schweikert Ultra 11 loudspeaker system ($300,000/pr.),

Front end and line components rested on the Critical Mass Maxxum rack, in this case, one with 12 component spaces ($73,800), while the four, two-chassis amplifiers rested on Critical Mass Maxxum amp stands ($6,250 or 25,000 for four), and everything was connected using a full loom of MasterBuilt Ultra cable (>$300,000).

A serious assault on State-of-the-Art, TechDAS, Esoteric, and Critical Mass Systems.

In what has become somewhat of a standing event, The Audio Company engaged me to play some of my personal LPs in an after-hours demo session on Saturday night. What's more, besides being allowed play select LPs from my own collection and programming the room for hours on end, they reserve a front-and-center seat just for my listening pleasure!

What was new this time was that this private session had normally only been attended by a bunch of industry insiders. This time, The Audio Company felt we should share this experience with the general public, and they published the event in both the AXPONA Guide Book and Website.

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